From the dawn of its creation in 1948 to today, KRVN Radio has been a beacon of agricultural trust for Nebraska residents.
“You have to have a trusted voice you can turn to,” said Tim Marshall, CEO of Nebraska Rural Radio Association (NRRA). “We watch out for the community; they know who they can turn to.”
KRVN started out as an information source for farmers, producers, and community members covering extreme weather conditions in the late 1940s. The station, a part of the NRRA, consisted of news, weather, farm, and market information.
Marshall explained KRVN maintains success due to its business model, allowing people and groups to purchase memberships without receiving dividends in return. Memberships started out at just $10 to raise money for radio equipment.
“Well, we’ve grown,” Marshall chuckled.
NRRA now has 14 radio stations in five different markets, along with a long list of partnerships from agriculture commodity groups, the University of Nebraska, and RFD-TV, to name a few. KRVN also offers podcasts and agriculture news video segments for an ABC affiliate.
“We did what any good producer would do: we diversified,” Marshall noted.
Diversification never diluted the simple, yet powerful, mission of KRVN, which is to serve the men and women in agriculture and rural Nebraska. Along with providing relevant and timely news, station representatives completed 78 parades and other community events last year while raffling off a vehicle and donating thousands of dollars.
“We’re able to give back on-air and financially to our neighbors and friends who listen to help them in tough times,” Marshall said. “We have a promo saying KRVN is the best farm station in the nation, and it’s true — period.”
KRVN also has an eye to the future, and Marshall likes to gauge success by determining where the station is behind, ahead or riding the edge. With income reinvesting into the company, he said streaming numbers continue to grow as employees are treated well and new platforms are being utilized.
“I’m excited where we’re at and super excited for where we’re going,” Marshall said. “We’re going to be here for another 70-plus years, trust me.”
